Automatic station indicator or register.



No. 804,976. PATENTED NOV. 21, 1905 P. B. POTTER.

AUTOMATIC STATION INDICATOR OR REGISTER. APPLICATION mum 0OT.1B. 1904.

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wanton luk (b. w I Wit uzowo No. 804,976. 'PATENTED NOV. 21, 1905.

' F. B. POTTER.

AUTOMATIC STATION INDICATOR OR REGISTER.

APPLICATION FILED O0T.18. 1904.

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FRED BROWNING POTTER,

on ST. Louis, MISSOURI.

AUTOMATIC STATION INDICATOR OR REGISTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented NOV. 21, 1905.

Application filed October 18, 1904. Serial No. 228,928.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I. FRED BROWNING POTTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Station Indicators or Registers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic station indicators or registers for moving passengercarriers, such as steam and electric cars.

The object of the present invention is the provision of a practical, simple, and inexpensive station-indicator which will automatically display the stations in order, wherein provision will be made for preventing accidental display of the name of a station from any cause or repetition of display regardless of reversal of the car or its stoppage at a point where the indicator is automatically actuated or from other cause.

The invention is also designed for use in displaying advertisements in any connection.

To carry out the objects of my'invention, I provide novel automatic mechanisms and devices cooperating in an improved manner, as fully set forth hereinafter, and recited in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagram of the control-circuits of an electric-railway car, showing in heavy lines the circuits for the motor which operates the indicator, the contact-segments of the car-controller being also shown in heavy lines. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the indicator. Fig.3 is a side elevation of one end of the same. Fig. 4 is an edge view of the trolleywheel used in connection with my invention. Fig. 5 is a side view of one of the auxiliary contacts on the trolley-harp. Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation of a trolley-car equipped with my invention. Fig. 7 showsthe automatic circuit-closer for starting the indicator-motor. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a modification.

The operative parts of the indicator or register are carried by a frame v1, in which are journaled drums 2 and 3, which are actuated by spring-barrels 4 and 5, whose springs are wound in opposition to each other and confined by the usual pawl-andratchet mechanism 6, gearing 7 and 8 communicating energy from the spring-barrels 4E and 5 to the respective drums 2 and 3. A tape or ribbon 9, carrying the names of the stations in their regular succession, unvvinds from one drum and winds onto the other, and it will be underto 0d that as this action takes place one of 'the spring-barrels winds up while the other unwinds. The tape or ribbon 9 is actuated from friction-drums 10 and 11, which are carried by adjustable bearings 12 and 13, operatedby a hand-turned shaft 14, having right and left screw-threads 15 and 16, engaging with the bearings 12 and 13, whereby the drums 10 and 11 may be advanced toward each other to the desired extent to place the requisite friction on the ribbon or tape 9.

The drum 10 has secured thereto a gear 17, provided with any desired number of aper tures 18 in its face, the same being circularly arranged and the space between succeeding apertures gaging the amount of travel of the tape or ribbon 9that is, the distance from the name of one station indicated on the tape or ribbon to the name "of the succeeding station. It will be understood that as many of these openings 18 will be employed as found necessary and certain stop or looking mechanism cooperates therewith, as will appear presently. Secured to drum 11 is a gear 19. Interposed between and meshing with the gears 17 and 19 is a worm 20, which is slidable lengthwise on a suitably-journaled shaft 21, provided with a spline 22, engageable in a seat in the worm 20. loil-springs 23 and 24, surrounding shaft 21 and interposed between the bearings thereof and the respective ends of the worm 20, balance each other and exert a spring-pressure on said worm. The electric motor 25 is in circuit with a set of special fingers a b 0 (Z in the reversing-switch 26 of the controller for the car-motors M M with the trolley-lead 80. The motor 25 has a socket in the end of its shaft which receives and looks with the end 27 of shaft 21, it being understood that the motor 25 is permanently connected to the car, and the entire indicator or register is bodily removable from the car, so that it can be transferred from one car to another. The purpose of having The finger (Z is connected the worm 2O slidable on the shaft 21 and emto the drums and 11 and prevent relocking of said drums. As the indicator is reversible, both springs 23 and 24 are necessarily employed.

Pivoted to the frame at 28 is a stop or looking lever 29, having a pin 30 disposed to bear against the face of the gear 17 and to drop into the apertures 18 when it comes in register therewith. This locking-lever is connected by a hinge 31 to a bell-crank lever 32, carrying a knife-switch 33, adapted to engage the contacts 34, which control the circuit of the motor 25, suitable terminal jacks 34 being used on the indicator for the terminals of the switch and receiving-plugs on the car. A leaf-spring 35 actuates the bell-crank lever 32 and presses the pin against the gear 17, so that the said pin snaps into the openings 18 when it comes in register therewith, at which time the knife-switch 33 breaks contact with the switch-contacts 34; but when the drums 10 and 11 are rotating and the pin 30 bears against the face of gear 17 the switch 33 is engaged with contacts 34, thus maintaining the circuit of the motor 25. Cooperating with the locking-lever 29 is a slidable latch 36, pressed by a spring 37 and carrying an armature 38, which is pivoted at 39 to said latch 36. A double magnet, composed of two coils 40 and 41, is positioned to attract the armature 38; but on account of the pivoting of the armature at 39 both coils must necessarily be energized in order to attract the armature and actuate the latch 36 against the tendency of its spring 37. On the frame 1 are terminal jacks 42, 43, and 44, jacks 42 being connected with one terminal of the coils and receiving plugs 45 on the car, which lead to the track-rails or ground, through suitable resistances 45, which will cut the voltage sufficiently low to avoid sparking. The other terminals of the coils 40 and 41 lead to the jacks 43 and 44, which in turn receive plugs 47 and 48 on the car which are in the circuits 49 and 50, extending along the trolley-pole 51 and leading to spring-contacts 52 and 53, suitably insulated from the trolleypole and trolley-wheel and adapted to bear against the common contact 54 on a hangerboard 55, connected to the trolley-wire and suitably stayed, said hanger-board being dis posed at a point where it is desired to indicate a station. My purpose in having two separate contacts 52 and 53 leading to independent coils 40 and 41 in connection with a pivoted armature is to make it impossible to actuate the indicator except'when both contacts 52 and 53 engage the common contact 54.

Consequently, should the trolley leave the wire and one of the contacts 52 or 53 strike the trolley-wire in replacing the trolley the armature 38 will not operate the latch 36 as said armature will only swing on its pivot 39.

Meshing with the gear 19 is a pinion 56 of a proper size to make one revolution every time the tape or ribbon 9 moves from one display of a station to another. The pinion carries a laterally-projecting trip-pin 57, so located that shortly after the pin 30 on the locking-lever 29 has been withdrawn from an aperture 18 in the gear 17 the trip-pin will engage the lower end of the trip-rod 58 and lift the same. This upward movement of the trip-rod raises the latch 36 out of engagement with the locking-lever and holds it there during a considerable portion of the revolution of the pinion 56, so that if the magnet 40 41 should happen to be energized before the trippin allows the trip-rod to drop once more the movement of the latch 36 will have no effect on the locking-lever.

Owing to the comparatively short length of the contact 54, the energization of the magnets 40 41 is but temporary, being only long enough to insure that the pin 30 will be withdrawn from the aperture 18 and the gear 17 allowed to turn far enough to prevent said pin from reentering said aperture. During the restof the movement of the gear 17 the spring constantly urges the pin against the gear, so that the pin 30 will instantly spring into an aperture when the two register. Shortly before the next aperture arrives under the pin the trip-pin in its revolution allows the trip-rod to drop, so that the latch 36 is once more in engagement with the lockinglever.

It will be understood that as the direction of rotation of the motor 25 is controlled by the reversing-switch 26 any reversal of the car will reverse the movement of the indicator; but the motor may be provided with its own reversing-switch 59 for use where the car runs always with the same end foremost, in which case when the car made the loop at the end of the line this reversing-switch 59 would be thrown and the tape or ribbon 9 would then run in the opposite direction and display the stations in their proper order. A local battery 75 might be used to operate the magnet 41, in which case double-throw switches 68 and 69 would be employed, which when both are thrown up will cut in the local battery 75, and when both are thrown down the current from trolley will be used. This requires extra jacks 42 and plugs adjacent to the switch 68 and also a change in the wiring of the magnets, as shown in Fig. 8. When the battery is used, the hanger-bars on the trolley -wire must be insulated therefrom. By throwing up the switches to the position shown in Fig. 8 and then pushing switch-button 78 the indicator can be run until the proper station appears on the tape, thus providing for setting at any time.

Generally stated, the operation of the invention is as follows: When the hanger-board is reached, the contacts 52 and 53 engage contact 54, whereupon magnet 40 41 attracts armature 38 and causes latch 36 to draw the lever 29 out of engagement with the opening 18, in which it was previously received. At for turning'the drum, locking mechanism for the same time the switch-blade 33 engages contacts 34 and the motor starts. The previous shifting of the worm 20 by the momentum of the armature of the motor when the motor last stopped causes a compression of one or the other spring 23 or 24, and upon release of the drums 10 and. 11 the spring thus compressed gives the drums an initial turning, so that although the circuit of the magnet 40 41 may be only momentarily completed this initial starting of the drums prevents the pin from again entering the aperture 18, which it previously occupied. The rotation of the motor-armature causes the friction-drums 10 and 11 to draw the tape or ribbon 9 between them and causes it to unwind from drum 2 onto drum 3, the slack being taken up by the spring-barrels 4: and 5. The ribbon is fed the proper distance to display the station to be indicated and the trippin 57 engages and lifts trip-rod 58, raising latch 36, so that any further accidentalienergization of magnet 41 will not affect lock-' ing-lever 29, which immediately thereafter snaps into engagement with the succeeding opening 18, whereupon the switch 33 34 is opened and the feed of the ribbon or tape 9 stoppedgbut the momentum of the armature of the motor 25 causes the worm 20 to slide on shaft 21 and compress one of the springs thereof. As succeeding stations are reached the above operation is repeated. When the reversing-switch 26 is thrown in forward direction, the segments a b 0 d will engage the fingers at b 0 d and cause the motor 25 to start and run in one direction. When the reversing-switch is reversed, the segments (0 I2 will engage with said fingers and cause the motor 25 to run in the opposite direction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 1 1. In an automatic station indicator or register, the combination with a tape or ribbon bearing indicia to represent the stations, of a drum for feeding said tape or ribbon, a gear for turning the drum, locking mechanism for stopping the rotation of the drum at predetermined points to permit a given feed of the tape or ribbon, means for unlocking said locking mechanism, an operating-shaft, means, for turning said operating-shaft, a worm slidable on the operating-shaft and rotatable therewith which meshes with the gear, and a spring cooperating with the worm, whereby after looking of the drum, the momentum imparted to the operating-shaft shifts the worm and stores energy in the spring to cause the worm to give an initial quick movement to the drum when the locking mechanism is next released.

2. In an automatic station indicator or register, the combination with a tape or ribbon bearing indicia to represent the stations, of a drum for feeding said tape or ribbon, a gear stopping the rotation of the drum at predetermined points to permit a given feed of the tape or ribbon, means for unlocking said locking mechanism, an operating-shaft, means for turning said operating-shaft, a worm slidable on the operating-shaft and rotatable therewith which meshes with the gear, and independent springs cooperating with the worm, which normally substantially balance each other one or the other of which is placed under compression when the worm is moved longitudinally of the operating-sh aft, whereby after the lockenergy in one spring to cause the worm to give an initial quick movement to the drum when the locking mechanism is next released.

3. In an automatic station indicator or register, the combination with drums, of a tape or ribbon carrying indicia of the stations and adapted to wind from one drum onto the other drum, friction feed-drums between which the tape or ribbon passes, and a right and left hand screw engaging with the bearings of said drums for adjusting the friction feeddrums toward or away from each other to regulate their frictional engagement with the tape or ribbon.

4. In an automatic station indicator or register, the combination with a tape or ribbon bearing indicia of the stations, of a drum for feeding said tape or ribbon, a motor geared to the said drum, mechanism controlling the motor, a locking-lever for locking the drum at various points of its rotation, said lockinglever controlling the starting and stopping mechanism of the motor and adapted to stop said motor upon locking of the drum, an electromagnet and armature controlling the locking-lever, and means operated by the drum adapted to prevent operation of the lockinglever by the armature at predetermined times. 5.- In an automatic station indicator or register, the combination with drums, of a tape or ribbon bearing indicia of the stations adapted to wind from one drum onto the other, a feed-drum for said tape, an electric motor geared to said feed-drum, an electric switch controlling the motor, a locking-lever for locking the feed-drum at predetermined points of its rotation, said locking-lever cooperating with the switch to open and close said switch, a spring cooperating with the locking-lever and switch and adapted to cause the lockinglever to lock the drum and when the drum is locked to open the switch, an electromagnet, an armature controlled by said electromagnet, a latch controlled by the armature adapted to cooperate with the locking-lever and release it from the drum when the electromagnet is energized, and trip mechanism operated. at predetermined times, adapted to cooperate with the latch aforesaid and prevent it from cooperating withthe locking-lever.

6. In an automatic station indicator or register, the combination with drums, of a tape or ribbon bearing indicia of the stations adapted to wind from one drum onto the other, a

' feed-drum for the tape, means for operating the feed-drum, locking mechanism for looking the drum at various points of its rotation, a latch for operating said locking mechanism, an armature pivoted to said latch, independent electromagnets for attracting the ends of the armature, and independent circuit connections to said electromagnets, whereby energization of both electromagnets is necessary in order to cause the armature and latch to operate the locking mechanism aforesaid,

7. In an automatic station indicator or register, for cars, the combination with an indicator carried by the car and having drums, a tape or ribbon bearing indicia adapted to wind from one drum onto the other, a feed-drum, locking mechanism for locking the feed-drum at various points of its rotation, a latch for operating thelocking mechanism, an armature pivoted to the latch, and independent electromagnets for attracting the respective ends of the armature, of a trolley-pole carried by the car, independent contacts carried by the trolley-pole and independently controlling the circuits of the respective electromagnets aforesaid, and a hanger-board on the trolley-wire having a common contact for engagement by the contacts aforesaid, whereby the engagement of both contacts with the common contact is necessary in order to energize both electromagnets and cause the armature and latch to operate the locking mechanism.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification inthe presence of two sub scribing witnesses.

FRED BROWNING POTTER.

Witnesses:

OLLIE MAGEE, R. L. GURNEY. 

